April Favourites ’20

Can you believe that it’s May already? Damn where is 2020 going, apart from down the pan due to Coronavirus… Sorry for the negativity at the start of my post, but come on… I’m sure you’ll all agree? 😛

How are you all doing during the lock down, both in the UK, as well as where you’re from? Personally whilst I’m enjoying being and working from home, it’s starting to get to me a little. I miss seeing my family and friends, as well as going out for leisure without a care in the world. It sucks feeling anxious whilst going out to buy milk and bread.

However, there are some plus sides to this. I’m getting to spend a little bit more time with Dane, I’m saving money but most of all I am starting to do things with my friends (especially my best friend) and that makes me happy. 🙂 Every cloud has a silver lining.

Image taken from The Latest Kate

Before I start this months favourites post, I just want to say that I’m her for you, as a friend if you need to talk. Right now we are living in uncertain and scary times and my own mental health is being affected right now. I don’t wish to think people are suffering alone in silence. Remember, my email is always open, as well as my DM’s via Twitter and Instagram. We will get through this, we will. 🙂

Anyhoo, on with this months favourites! I’m not going to lie… I kind of struggled. 😛

• Imperial Leather Shake Your Bambootay Shower Gel.

I’m sorry I have another Imperial Leather shower gel up this month, but I bought quite a few before the lock down, okay? 😛 I much prefer this one to the unicorn one I spoke about in my favourites last month, purely for the scent. This has a fruity and fresh scent, which I’ve really been loving using in the mornings before I start work as I find it wakes me up and gets me ready for the day. Plus both me and Dane have found this really moisturising on the skin, which has been really nice. I’m glad I bought a couple of bottles of this now, as I really do like it. 🙂

• Boots Eye Drops for Dry & Irritated Eyes.

I’ve owned these eye drops since my trip to Japan and I still have loads of product left in the bottle. I love using eye drops everyday before I start work/the day in general as I feel it really wakes me up and refreshes my eyes. These have been so essential during the lock down, as I find it just makes me feel that little bit more ready for the day… Especially as I’m working from home. I honestly recommend eye drops to everyone, especially if your eyes feel tired when you wake up in the morning. I find a couple of drops make a huge difference.

• L’Oreal Paris Hydra Genius Aloe Moisturiser for Combination Skin (review).

I honestly love this moisturiser so much and I’m hesitant to change from this to something else, as I feel like I’ve found something that works so good for my skin. My morning skincare routine has changed during the lock down and I have gone from doing a full routine, to under half of it. I’m only really using my moisturiser, and occasionally my serum and eye gel if I feel I need them. I don’t see the point in using all my products up everyday… This moisturiser has really helped my skin out lately, as my face has felt so tight and dry. I’ve actually had to buy another bottle of this, as I’m really close to this one running out now. I’ve linked back to my review of this from back in 2017. Yes, I have been using this product for 3 years now and I have zero regrets.

• Peacci Nail Varnish in Ophelia.

I couldn’t not mention this nail varnish this month as I have loved it so much. I actually get my nails painted with gel by my lovely nail tech, but obviously due to the lock down, this hasn’t been an option for me… I get my nails painted with The Gel Bottle, who also have a sister company called Peacci. Peacci created the same gorgeous colours that The Gel Bottle do BUT in a nail varnish formula. I can’t get my nails done by my nail tech, so I’m doing myself with the nail varnish alternative for the time being. I picked up two colours, Valentina and Ophelia. Valentina is a pink holographic shade, whilst Ophelia is a dark nude pink colour. I’ve worn these two shades together in their gel form and it’s probably my favourite nail manicure I’ve had to date, hence why I bought their nail varnish versions. I’m currently wearing Ophelia and it’s gorgeous. It’s lasted ages and compliments my skin tone. I’m hoping to do a review of these and Peacci in the future. Would you like to see it? If not on a blog post, maybe an IGTV video?

• Childs Farm Baby Moisturiser.

I’ve mentioned this baby moisturiser before on my blog and here I am again, sharing it with you all and why it’s amazing. I have said many a time on my blog, I have eczema on my hands and it would seem that the older I get, the worse it has gotten. It got to a really bad point before my trip to Japan in late 2019 when I had a massive rough patch on my right hand. I ended up going to the doctors as peoples comments on it were upsetting me. It turned out to be dermatitis and I still need to go to a special doctor for more tests in case there is more to it. Although this patch has cleared up at the moment, it was around at the start of April. The Body Shop hand lotion I was using wasn’t enough and I started using my Childs Farm moisturiser again. This has really helped my hands and at the time of writing this, they’re lovely and soft. 🙂 I honestly cannot recommend this enough! It isn’t just for hands either, it can be used all over the body.

So now my beauty favourites are done, time to talk about the miscellaneous favourites of the month!

Favourite TV Show – Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness.

Not going to lie. Tiger King was something I had to watch twice and I’m glad I did. Everyone and their cat (ha!) has watched Tiger King and discussed it in full. It’s a Netflix series all about the breeding of tigers in America and some crime that happened during that time revolving around Joe Exotic. I watched it once and I was very much “What the fuck did I just watch? I don’t actually understand what happened.” A week later, I watched it again and understood (kind of…) what had happened. I was surprised though. I have to say here, I am pissed off at anyone who is making merchandise from this and selling. Don’t sell shit based on animal cruelty, potential murder and all around crime. It’s not cool.

Image taken from GIPHY

Favourite Movie – The Cat Returns.

As we all know, all the Studio Ghibli films are now on Netflix, which is amazing! Me and Dane own them all on DVD anyway, but it’s nice to have them on Netflix to watch as and when we fancy watching them. We recently put on The Cat Returns to watch together, as this is one of Dane’s favourites. I always forget how much I love Natoru (in the gif), as well as many other characters. I was surprised there wasn’t more merch in Japan to do with The Cat Returns.

Image taken from GIPHY

Favourite Book – Urgh. I don’t read anymore haha.

Nope. I didn’t read again this month. Honestly guys, I’m just not finding the time between working, playing games, chilling on video chats with friends and more. 😦

Favourite Song – “Gimme a Minute” – PVRIS.

PVRIS released a new single from their upcoming album this month and I haven’t stopped listening to it to be honest with you. I love everything about it, including the lyrics and the electropop/alternative rock sound that I adore. I only discovered PVRIS a year ago and I have really fallen in love with them. I honestly can’t wait for their new album to come out in July. It was meant to be out today but that was pushed back due to coronavirus… 😦

I honestly love Bones so much 🙂 #AnimalCrossing #ACNH #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/6bhAMN4bml

— Nat 🐱 (@MayBeeCoffee) April 27, 2020

Favourite Game – Still Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

Of course this is going to be here for another month… I mean, why wouldn’t it? It’s officially been a month since the new Animal Crossing game came out and I am still playing it everyday. I have all my villagers on my island now, as well as 4 I moved in thanks to amiibo cards. I have started to terraform my island now and I’m starting to get into the swing of things. I really do love this game and I especially love playing with my friends. 🙂

So, those are my favourites from April! Again, I can’t believe we are already into May. It’s crazy how quick the past month has flown by, but I’m honestly going to blame coronavirus for that. I don’t mind how quick it’s going. The sooner things can go back to normal, the better.

What were your favourites from April? Also, how are you all doing during this time? What are you doing to keep yourself sane? Make sure to let me know in the comments.

Until next time all, take care and stay safe!

April Favourites ’18

Image taken from GIPHY

Oh man I had to use that gif! I’ve never done this before so any time is better than no time! 😛

April went by so damn quick to be honest and I can’t believe that not only is May here, but that Avengers Infinity Wars is also here and breaking everyone’s hearts.

I’m off work tomorrow (YAYS!) so I’m going to have a blog and chill day. For now though I’m catching up on some housework whilst doing some blogging.

This months favourites are pretty good (in my opinion anyway!) and I’m loving everything on this list, which I hope you do too! 😀

• Jo Malone Cologne in Earl Grey & Cucumber (review)

This is an old favourite of mine and one I tend to use on and off whenever the mood takes me. It’s one I got through my old job at Costa Coffee and since then I use it on special occasions. I think pretty much every weekend in April however, I’ve used this when going out! It’s a really strong perfume so you can use it once and it’ll last for ages! I love the scent so much and although I love it more during autumn and winter, it’s been so refreshing to use during the spring month of April!

• Antipodes Deliverance Hand Cream.

I was bought this as a Christmas present back in 2015, which I know is forever ago and probably means that it’s out of date but I don’t care. 😛 When tidying stuff in our bedroom a few weeks back I found this hand cream again and have started to use it. I use it daily now, especially at work and it’s really helped my hands with their recent spell of dryness! It smells really nice, just like lemongrass and isn’t too heavy and thick on your hands. I just love it to use throughout my shifts at work, as well as on the go. I’d definitely buy it myself.

• Nivea Peach Shine & Cherry Shine Caring Lip Balm.

I would just talk about one of these this month but I love both so much equally that they both need to be spoken about! I used to use the cherry and strawberry Nivea lip balms ALL THE TIME during my final years of school! I just feel like a kid again and it’s so weird. The cherry one is tinted so you get a slight pinky/red tint, which is lovely. The peach one you don’t really get much of a tint. They both smell amazing too, which I love the most! Towards the end of the month my lips have been splitting again at the sides, so sadly I haven’t been able to use the lip balms.

• Newtons Labs T-Zone Spot Zapping Gel.

This is an oldie and goldie I have loved on and off over the years. I always have a supply of it in case I break out badly and need it. I don’t know why but a couple of weeks ago my cheeks broke out so badly that I worried it was the start of acne. Thankfully due to other beauty products it’s now passed, but I do feel this tea tree gel really has helped too!

• The Body Shop Strawberry Shower Gel.

This is always a firm favourite of mine and Dane bought it for me for my birthday this year. I started using it FINALLY in April and I always forget how much I love it. It reminds me of when I was a child, my mom would always buy it for me and I fondly remember using it before school most mornings when I was in primary school. It’s definitely a great shower gel to start using with spring here!

So now my beauty favourites are done, time to talk about the miscellaneous favourites of the month!

Image taken from Amazon.co.uk

Favourite TV Show – Hitoshi Matsumoto Presents Documental Season 1.

Oh man if there is a show I have thoroughly loved and enjoyed it’s definitely Documental! Dane was watching it one morning and got me to watch the start of episode 3, I really got into it and continued to watch that episode, as well as 4 with him. I then went on to watch episode 1 and 2 on my own. Since then I’ve watched it again, as some of the moments in episode 3 and 4 are absolutely hilarious! It’s created and presented by a big Japanese comedian, Hitoshi Matsumoto. 10 Japanese comedians are locked in a room for either 6 or 9 hours and the one whose left in the room will win 10 million yen! Each comedian has taken in a million yen, which obviously makes up the prize money. The one who will win the 10 million yen needs to be the one who doesn’t laugh or smile. Some of the stuff the comedians will do to throw one another off is just amazing. I’ve seen online that there’s 3, maybe even 4 seasons now and I cannot wait for them all to come out!

Image taken from GIPHY

Favourite Film – Black Panther and Marvel Infinity War

I know I’m talking about two Marvel films, but I just have to! First of all just before Dane’s birthday we went to see Black Panther and it’s fast turned into one of my favourite Avengers movies! There was so much action going on throughout the movie and it was perfect. I especially loved Erik Killmonger (reason why the gif is of him! :P) and he stole the show, well… Movie. 😛

The second film on this list is Infinity War. I’m not going to talk too much about this film here, obviously due to spoilers and shit. Let’s just say both me and Dane were really excited but nervous to go and watch it. We went in excited and unsure what to expect, but left feeling confused and depressed. Honestly I felt low the whole of Sunday, as did Dane. I think I can speak for us both when we say we want to go again soon to see it.

Image taken from GIPHY

Favourite Book – K-ON!

I love K-ON! the anime so much! So this time last year I ended up buying all of the manga because I needed more. I’ve only just recently started reading them of late however! I’m currently on Vol. 3 and loving it! I just love getting to work early most mornings and reading them before I head in. It’s also funny reading them during my shifts at work during my breaks too. I can’t wait to finish reading them however though now.

Favourite Song/Album/Artist – James Arthur.

This is thanks to the radio at work to be honest. Both of these songs come on on a daily basis and I love them so much! James Arthur has such a lovely singing voice and I’ve found myself singing along to these songs most days throughout the month. There isn’t much more music I can talk about on here really as I haven’t listened to much more in all honesty.

Favourite Game – A Way Out.

During our depressive state after Marvel Infinity Wars me and Dane decided to buy this on the Xbox One. We’ve been playing it together and we’re having so much fun. It’s about two guys and you get to pick who you play as. Leo is already in prison, but you start the game either playing as or witnessing Vincent coming into the prison. From there you have to work together to escape prison and both take on the same person who caused you to be in jail in the first place. Or something like that anyway. 😛

So those were my favourites for this month! I still can’t believe it’s May! There’s loads of stuff coming up in June, I’ll have to write about it towards the end of this month.

I’m sorry my April favourites are up late today, I’ve just been so incredibly busy over the weekend and yesterday, but I’m sure it’s worth the wait!

What were your favourites throughout April? Make sure to let me know in the comments!

Until next time, take care all and I hope you’re having a great week so far.

April Favourites ’17

Easter holidays are over, all the chocolate eggs have been sold or are still on sale in the shops, and Mini Eggs won’t be back until New Year… This is the saddest thing for me. I fucking love Mini Eggs! 😛

But we’re into May now and happy May Day! I’m off work for a change and I intend to spend the day doing sod all and chilling out with Dane. I might make us sausage and mash… Love it!

ANYWAY! With a new month of course comes my monthly posts, including my favourites. April was a funny month, but I discovered a lot of new items this month gone and luckily stuff I needed… Not just buying for the sake of it. 😛

• Imperial Leather Marshmallow Shower Cream.

I’ve used this in the past and I’m pretty sure it has featured on my monthly favourites before. It being featured on here again just shows what an amazing product it is! I actually forgot how good it was until I recently started using it again. It smells beautiful and leaves your skin not only smelling yummy but feeling lovely and soft too. For only a £1 you cannot go wrong!

• Vaseline Lip Therapy with Cocoa Butter.

It’s shit to admit but my lips are STILL bad. Well they appear to be on the mend now and better than before but still bad… Urgh. I finally got some decent answers from two doctors recently and was given the right treatments. Alongside using the treatment creams I’ve also been slathering on this Vaseline in between applications to keep my lips nice and moist… Ew I hate that word but it’s the only word I can use right now and it be accurate. This tub is for around the house, as I bought an aloe vera one for out on the go and for work. I don’t like that one as much as the cocoa butter though to be honest. I find the smell to be fresh, but that doesn’t apply when on the lips. I feel like the cocoa butter scent is lovely both in the jar and when applied to the lips. You can never go wrong with cocoa butter to be fair! I love this better than the original Vaseline though to be honest! 😀

• Boots Essentials Cucumber Eye Gel.

I needed a new eye gel last month and wanted to make sure to get something that would cool my eyes whilst hydrating them throughout the day. I wouldn’t usually go for a low budget eye gel due to the whole, “It’s not going to do sod all…” but I thought for £1.50 it wouldn’t break the bank to give it a whirl! I hate eye creams and have always opted to buying gels if I can. This one is amazing and really does soothe and cool tired eyes either in the morning before work or after a long day in the evening. Either way I love this and I think I’ll end up buying another soon for mine and Dane’s holiday in September!

• Barry M Molten Metal Nail Paint in shade Copper Mine.

When I was off work during April I decided to paint my nails as due to the job I do I’m not allowed to wear it whilst working. I have a couple of these Molten Metal polishes but this one is my favourite. I find the copper shade suits my yellow skin tone the best and it just looks gorgeous too. The formula is lovely and it lasts ages before chipping! Even whilst doing loads of work on the house last week it hardly chipped. This was without a top coat too! I’ll be reviewing these very soon as they deserve a review. I plan to get myself the new holographic shade that recently came out. These are on 2 for £7 at the moment so I’ll be getting that and another shade.

• Radox Feel Heavenly Bath Soak with Coconut & Milk.

Finally we have a bubble bath on my monthly favourites. I still use my Lush products, don’t get me wrong but more often than not I find if I overuse them it actually causes more harm to my body than good. That and I try to make my money last at the moment. ANYWAY! This bath soak was bought on a whim that I wanted something nice and light to use on days off work and before bed. This is a gorgeous bubble bath where a little bit goes a long way, but I always add a generous amount to my bath to create LOADS of bubbles. I always find this leaves my skin lovely and soft after use. It’s amazing.

So now my beauty favourites are done, time to talk about the miscellaneous favourites of the month!

Favourite TV Show – Sirens (UK version).

This is a show I recently started to re-watch. It was out YEARS ago… (looks on Wikipedia) Holy shit 2011 was when this show first aired. I feel old. Very old. ANYWAY! As the title may give away this show is about 3 paramedics and it shows what they get up to during their shifts. It also shows a couple of members of the Police and Fire Service too. This is fiction I’ll have you know and is actually a comedy. I love it so much though, it just makes me laugh. There are some serious notes in it however and with that it does remind me of Only Fools and Horses. One moment it can be side splitting funny and the next bringing a tear to your eye. If you’ve never watched it and you fancy giving it a go then I think you’re only options now are going to be watching it online for free, or as a shitty YouTube upload. I’m being naughty and watching it online for free… Hey! I’d buy it if I could!

Favourite Film – Your Name (Kimi no Na wa).

Last month me and Dane went to go and watch this after he found out it was showing in the Mockingbird cinema in Birmingham’s Custard Factory. He booked it that day and that evening we were off to watch it. Oh my God it wasn’t even what I was expecting it to be to be honest. I knew what the basic plot was for the film but it has a lot of twists and such throughout the film. I don’t want to talk too in depth as I worry it could spoil the film for anyone who hasn’t seen it. You can watch a trailer here if you like the sound of it. BUT to be honest if you haven’t heard about it by now, whether you’re an anime fan or not then where have you been hiding? It keeps being spoken about how it’s the best anime film for quite some time. 😛

Favourite Book – K-ON!

As regular readers of my blog will know I have been reading nothing but manga since the start of the year and whilst it is an expensive thing to keep on top of, it is so damn worth it! I recently purchased all of the K-ON manga to read and whilst I am only somewhat through the series, I am in love with it. It’s just great to see some of my new favourite anime characters come to life on the pages of the manga as well as through the anime series. I’ll be reviewing in the future!

Favourite Songs – George Michael “Freedom! 90” and “Careless Whisper”.

This is kind of random I suppose but a few nights ago I just started listening to songs from the 00’s… Which led to songs from the 90’s and for some reason that then led me to listen to some of George Michael’s best singles. Of course he died at the end of last year which was a real shame. He was a talented guy in every way! I have always had a place for “Freedom! 90” and I don’t know why… I especially love the music video as I think it’s so clever, alongside the song as a dig at the music industry. 😛 Thanks to Deadpool now whenever I hear “Careless Whisper” I just think of Ryan Reynolds singing it at the end of the film. HA! 😛 BUT instead of popping either of the songs mentioned above I thought I would attach Seether’s cover of “Careless Whisper”. It’s amazing in my eyes and they did a really good job!

Favourite game – TsumTsum.

This is a game I have owned for as long as I’ve had my iPhone 6 to be honest… I remember when I went on holiday with my dad in November 2015 playing it whenever we were near a WiFi connection! ANYWAY… This is a game I have been playing nonstop this month and it’s one I always forget that I love to play. It’s a game that you can actually pay to play in Japan as an actual arcade game. I would love to play it like that! I’ve attached a video above of Sharla playing it! It’s just a great, free and relaxing game to play. It’s one of those where you need to match up 3 plus of the same Disney character to get rid of them, get a high score, coins etc. With those coins you can buy new characters etc. If you love Disney and love the Tsum Tsum’s then you’ll love this!

So those were my favourites from April! I can’t believe how quickly the year is going by though to be perfectly honest. Next month me and Dane will have been in our house for a year and I don’t know if I like that or if it scares me a little. Time is going wayyyyy too fast and I don’t think I like that. It also means next month marks our four year anniversary which IS exciting and I don’t mind that. 😛 It does feel like we’ve been together longer mind.

What products were you loving throughout April? Make sure to let me know in the comments down below.

Until next time take care all and I hope you have a lovely bank holiday Monday. I know I will be. 😛